A-K Valley senior spotlight: Valley’s Dario Wolfe

By: Bill Hartlep
Monday, May 2, 2022 | 12:58 PM

Spending months and months in quarantine allowed people to try out new hobbies and find different areas of entertainment.

Dario Wolfe’s newfound passion was tennis.

He spent months learning the game and practicing.

A longtime baseball player, he decided last spring to join the Valley boys tennis team instead.

“Dario was the missing piece that thrust us into winning the section title,” coach Rachael Link said.

Wolfe teamed with Thomas Albert to finish third at last year’s section doubles tournament and qualified for the WPIAL doubles tournament.

He has continued to hone his skills on the court and again is making an impact as a senior with the Vikings.

With Albert graduated, Wolfe, an Allegheny recruit, teamed last week with junior Nick Bussard to win the Section 3-2A doubles tournament, and they next will compete in the WPIAL doubles tournament.

“His versatility is incredible,” Link said. “He is incredibly coachable. He listens, he can implement it immediately and he’s going to work on it until he gets it. He wants to master things. He is brilliantly coachable.”

Wolfe took a few minutes off the court last week for an A-K Valley Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did it feel to win the section doubles tournament?

It felt good. We won as a team. We played the same team that we played last year at section doubles, and we came in second. It felt good to win this year. I got another year of experience, which helped and knowing the way they played.

How do you and Nick work together on the court?

I have a good forehand, and he has a good backhand so we make a good team together.

Do you prefer singles or doubles?

I prefer singles because I get a lot more touches and get to serve twice the amount.

What got you interested in tennis?

During quarantine me and one of my friends (Thomas Albert) who I played with last year started to play. I always wanted to play but couldn’t because it was the same season as baseball. Last year, I took a chance and I really enjoy it. It’s more of an individual sport, and you can’t blame anyone else.

What was the toughest part of the game to pick up?

The backhand, probably.

How has the team’s season gone so far?

Good. We got second in our section. We’ll probably get around a four seed in the WPIAL. Hopefully we can finish top three and make it to states.

What are your goals for WPIAL doubles?

We’ll go in with a pretty good seed. The goal is to make top three and go to states.

Why did you decide to attend Allegheny?

There were a couple of colleges interested in me playing. I didn’t know if I wanted to play. Allegheny was one of the top ones academically, and their coaches reached out and I felt it was a good fit for me when I took a visit. I’ll be a history major or foreign affairs.

Are you involved in any other activities at Valley?

I play football. I used to play baseball. I’m in Science Club, Interact club, National Honor Society.

What is something people might not know about you?

I’ve only been playing tennis for one year.

Is there a pro player you look up to?

I’d say I play closer to (Rafael) Nadal than anyone.

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Valley